Super Smash Bros. Director Explains Why Ridley Isn't Playable

Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai tells us that Ridley is just too big to be a Smash Bros. fighter.

For some reason, Metroid fans really, really wanted the series main antagonist, Ridley, to be a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. These fans had their hopes raised, and subsequently dashed, when Ridley was revealed... as an NPC "boss" character exclusive to the Wii U version of the game. Now, game director Masahiro Sakurai has explained to IGN why the decision was made.

"I definitely know that Ridley's a much-anticipated name for fans, but if we made Ridley as a fighter, it wouldn't be Ridley any longer," explained Sakurai. "It'd have to be shrunk down, or its wings reduced in size, or be unable to fly around freely."

"Providing accurate portrayals of characters is something I want to pay ample attention to," he continued. "If I don't stick to that thought, then we'd have to lower the quality or break the balance of the game. Something that goes way off spec could break the entire game."

He said that rather than go through "a lot of very convoluted hocus-pocus" to make Ridley a playable fighter, they opted for the "boss character" route, so that fans could still have him in the game in some way. "I figured it'd be better to keep Ridley as it currently is, the correct way, and have it feel like a truly threatening presence," he added.

So there you have it folks, Ridley confirmed for "too big." Are you satisfied with his inclusion as a boss, or would you rather Sakurai have tried to make him a playable fighter anyway?